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Monday, March 5, 2018

Guest Post :: 5 Healthy Ways To Stay Fit If You Work Full-Time

Once you
graduate college or graduate school it becomes increasingly more difficult to
find the time to carve out a decent block of time to work out at least three
times a week. When I was in college right after my classes were over I would
change into some workout clothes and spend about an hour on the elliptical then
do about 15 minutes of toning exercises. Now I go to yoga class twice a week,
hope to do the elliptical once a week, and on the days when I don’t have time
to make it to the gym I usually either do a yoga video or just something as
simple as doing lunges. Today Peter Minkoff is sharing with us 5 healthy ways
to stay fit if you work full-time.

Sitting is the new smoking. And this is not an exaggeration in
the slightest. Of course, people have worked full-time before, but with
technological advances of our time, both work and leisure time are usually
spent sitting at the desk/on a sofa and staring into a computer/TV screen. Such
habits have taken its toll considerably and will continue to do more damage if
you don’t make sure that you balance your lifestyle with healthy habits and
regular physical activity. Obviously, the first and major symptom that can
cause plenty of other health issues consequently is weight gain and muscle
fatigue (the one you get from not using your muscles at all). The main question
of course is how to find the time to do something when you’re supposed to be at
work 8-9 hours every weekday, and sometimes even on the weekends. You may find
your answer in the following tips, so keep on reading.

Start with what
you eat

One of the major downfalls when it comes to health and fitness
of people who work full-time is the need to quickly grab whatever’s the most
convenient when they’re hungry. This is usually some junk food and snacks that
are everything but good for you. Not only does this kind of a diet lead to
weight gain but other health complications as well. So, the first thing you can
do is to pack a healthy meal for yourself together with healthy snacks. If this seems like
too much work for you to do at home, you can look up nearby restaurants that do
deliveries, and order a healthy and balanced mean to be brought to you at work
instead of buying the first thing at the fast food stall near your office.

Remember to drink
water

Hydration is extremely important for proper bodily functions regardless of what
you’re doing during the day. In general, you need to drink the amount of water
you get when you divide your weight in kg by 30. When you work all day, you can
simply forget to drink water, even when you feel thirsty. But, remember – once
you feel thirsty, your body is already dehydrated. Water is paramount for
maintaining skin elasticity as well as boosting your energy and mood. It can
also minimize migraines. Therefore, bring a water bottle to work, or even fill
up the big soda bottle with water and keep it on your desk. Have a nice mug
that you enjoy as well. When water is constantly in front of you, you’ll find
it easier to drink it as well.

Walk as much as
you can

It would be best to walk to and from work, but if that’s
impossible, try cycling instead. Moreover, taking short walks in the evening or
in the morning will boost your circulation as well as help your muscles stay
strong. Don’t let yourself sit down all day either. Try to get up and walk
around your office at least every hour for a while so that the body gets the
minimal physical activity it needs to work properly. Of course, you can even
incorporate deskercises if you want to get even fitter compared to your current
fitness level.

Exercise regularly

Physical activity is a must if you want to stay healthy and fit,
or even lose weight. However, when you spend as much time as you do at work,
you probably feel too tired to hit the gym afterwards. Sometimes, waking up
early to go to the gym is a completely unattractive option as well, and you
shouldn’t force yourself to do something you thoroughly dislike. But, you still
need that physical activity. So, what do you do? Instead of wasting time on a
trip to the gym, why not work out at home? As long as you get functional fitness equipment and find
effective YouTube videos showing the exercises, you can achieve amazing results
with only 20 minutes a day from the comfort of your own home.

Talk to others from your office

You can’t be the only one facing the problem of staying fit when
working full-time. There’s bound to be someone else among your colleagues who’s
dealing with the same issue, or someone who’s found a way to make things work,
and balance the job with healthy habits. Don’t hesitate to approach them. This
is a great way to partner up and have someone to go through the changes with.
Moreover, exercising and paying attention to your diet seems less stressful and
impossible, when there’s someone by your side in the same circumstances and is
doing the same thing as you.

Work is important, and no one claims differently. But it’s not
as important as your health. You may not care about looking like top models or having
a beach body, but staying fit is not just about that. It’s about your own
well-being and mindfulness, and staying healthy, both physically and mentally.
This is why you cannot ignore your body’s and mind’s needs, even when working
full-time.